THE SQUASH-VINE BORER : USE OF COUNTERODORANTS. 65 



" Squashes in the East, and more particularly near the large cities 

 where they are often largely cultivated for market, are infested with the 

 squash-vine borer, the larva of an orange-colored moth {MeJittia cu- 

 curhitce), which not only deposits its eggs on the vines near the roots, 

 as stated by Harris, but also, as I have often observed, along the vine 

 here and there at the joints, the young larvae entering the vine and bur- 

 rowing it from end to end. This destroys the vine and, of course, the 

 crop, unless counteracted by some method. The method of culture 

 must be controlled by this danger ; and to manure the ground broad- 

 cast, as well as in the hill, and cover every joint when the vine begins 

 to run, with soil raised by a hoe, avoids the danger, because the vines root 

 at every joint when thus treated, and the original root may be cut off and 

 yet the vine flourish all the more from its several rooted joints. This 

 cannot be well done with hill-manuring ; but yet I have found a way to 

 circumvent the borer even then. It is to procure Peruvian guano, or a 

 special fertilizer prepared for squashes, and hill up around the joints as 

 soon as the presence of the borer is perceived, or before that as a pre- 

 caution, scattering a small quantity of the fertilizer (one ounce or so) 

 about the newly earthed-up joint. At the same time, a dash or two of 

 water in which London purple has been mixed may be thrown on the 

 vine near the covered joint with a small bunch of broom corn. This 

 will destroy many of the young larvae as they eat their way into the 

 vine, and the scent of the fertilizer may drive off the parent moth." 

 {Country Geiitleman for June 3, 1880, xlv, page 358.) 



Treatment with saltpetre. — The following treatment of the vines with 

 saltpetre has been recommended : 



'' Four tablespoonfuls dissolved in a pail of water, and about a quart 

 applied to each hill where an attack was noticed and the leaves were 

 wilting, at the time when the vines were just beginning to run nicely, ef- 

 fectually arrested the attack and a fine crop followed." ( Country Gentle- 

 man, May I, 1879, page 279.) 



Use of Counterodorants. 



In accordance with the views advanced by me and treated of at 

 length in my First Annual Report on the Insects of New York, I be- 

 lieve that the deposit of the eggs upon the plant by the moth may be 

 prevented by the use of strong-smelling substances, such as kerosene 

 oil, coal-tar, tar-water, naphthaline, soluble phenyle, carbolic acid, and 

 bisulphide of carbon. Experiments are needed to determine the rela- 

 tive efficiency of the above and like materials. It would, of course, be 

 necessary that the applications should be renewed from time to time as 

 their strength becomes impaired, so long as the moth continues abroad 

 for laying her eggs — unfortunately a long period. 



Efficacy of bisulphide of carbon. — I am quite desirous that faithful 

 experiment be made with bisulphide of carbon, in consideration of its 

 having proved effectual in preventing the attack of rose-bugs upon 

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